The term “bit blindness”, coined in 2020, emphasises that after its inception four millennia ago, bit use in horses has long been normalised [1,2]. Moreover, not only has the use of bits been normalised, so too were the distinctive behaviours associated with that use. Indeed, this dual normalisation was so widely accepted that when published evidence increasingly showed bit-induced mouth pain was the cause of clearly identifiable behaviours within the normalised spectrum [e.g., 3-11], it shocked equestrians who believed it [12].

In this compelling critique, Professor Emeritus David Mellor examines a recent study published in Animals by Kathryn Nankervis, Jane Williams, Diana Fisher, and Russell MacKechnie-Guire. Mellor questions the almost complete absence of references to bit-induced mouth pain, and a failure to comprehensively evaluate the associated welfare concerns.

Curb bits are very powerful, second-class levers of the 'nutcracker' or 'lemon squeezer' type. They are literally a 'tongue, lips and bars squeezer'. They are meant to enforce poll flexion with minimal rider effort - through pain or the threat of pain as the mouthpiece compresses the tongue, lips and bars. Like all bits, curbs ARE A WELFARE RISK Horses are at risk because riders can easily underestimate the mechanical advantage and how it amplifies the pressure the horse is receiving on sensitive tissues.

Some dressage horses, even Olympic champions, have blue tongues when they are ridden. Why is this happening? This video exposes some of the evidence, and suggests that tight nosebands are at the centre of the problem - aiding and abetting training practices that are leading to blue tongues; which means that some riders may not realise this is likely to violate the animal welfare legislation in many countries they compete in. This is not good news, for the horses, riders, the sport, and all the businesses who rely on them.

This video explains what the social licence to operate is; why it affects horse sports, and why tack and equipment is at the top of the FEI's priority list for welfare reform. I presented this at the Horse Welfare Conference 2024, hosted by the Danish Knowledge Centre for Animal Welfare and the Centre for Research in Companion Animal Welfare. The conference sold out in less than two weeks, demonstrating the strong interest in horse welfare.